Fraternizing with the Enemy
by NexusTehULF0o
Summary: And located anywhere but on a meteor soaring through space, they might have been a bit frightened as to the secrecy of it all. SA2-centric. Knuckles/Rouge. Two-shot.
1. Devoted Thief

**Title: Fraternizing with the Enemy**

**Author: NexustehULF0o**

**Description: And located anywhere but on a meteor soaring through space, they might have been a bit frightened as to the secrecy of it all.** **SA2-centric. Knuckles/Rouge. Two-shot.**

**Rating: K+. I think I cursed, maybe twice in this chapter.

* * *

**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ROUGE, KNUCKLES, OR ANY OF THE SONIC CHARACTERS THAT MAY BE MENTIONED IN THIS FANFIC. I don't know what it is with me and my Sonic obsession lately. It's killing me, man.

* * *

**

**Nexus: So, I decided to write a Knuckles/Rouge fic because I've been having a little affair with Sonic Adventure 2: Battle lately. Knuckles and Rouge are my two most favorite characters in the Sonic universe, and, in an attempt to help myself better understand their characters, I thought I'd write something small. And canon scenes are always a good place to start. Well, I hope you enjoy, since this is my first Sonic fic! XD

* * *

**

There was an exploding noise in the faint recesses of her mind as she recalled that they were on a meteor hurdling through space and that other meteors were hitting it at a surprisingly high rate.

But she realized soon after that this wasn't what she should be worrying about right now.

Her heavy breathing calmed quite a bit as she focused her rage once more toward the enemy and rival she'd made in the very beginning of all of this…when she had been all too naïve in the ways of Sonic the Hedgehog and his crew.

Her fists tightened at her sides, quickly throwing one out in front of her in an attempt to threaten her opponent.

"Stop foolin' around, and gimme back MY emerald!"

She'd been surprised he'd been thinking the same exact thing. After all, she'd realized that it was, in fact, HIS Emerald, by now, she just …

She'd simply…

She'd merely wanted to…

…See what lengths he would go to in order to get aforementioned emerald back. Sport made the pickings more challenging, and God knew that this echidna was no pushover.

"What are you babbling about?" She cried out, leaning forward and kicking a hip out to the side while still keeping her balance on the narrow column supporting them both. "You call yourself a hunter, attacking a lady? Shame on you!" She batted her eyes innocently as if to emphasize herself as being such a lady. Maybe he would realize this and move…

Maybe he would look into her eyes and take her hand and…

Maybe he would…just throw her the emerald and get off this godforsaken meteor. It would make her life a hell of a lot easier.

But no. He folded his arms and stubbornly turned up his nose, looking away. His red dreadlocks swished delicately around his face.

"What kind of 'lady' goes around stealin' gems, anyway?" He retorted, sending her flaring.

That was an insult she wouldn't take sitting down.

"Those belong to me!" She cried out as she lunged forward, looking to land her heeled boot smack-dab against the pretentious look on his face.

It all happened in an instant, really. She'd felt wobbly all of a sudden. Her heel, covered in a stainless steel used for digging, had slipped, sending her toppling toward the boiling pit of lava beneath the two of them. She shrieked as she fell, reaching her hand upward – as if there were anything to grab onto…

But maybe he would call out to her, making the last words she heard as she fell be something romantic, like…

Or maybe he would jump off after her, holding her in his arms as the both of them fell together…

…He would probably…watch her fall. Callously. After all, she _was_ kind of in his way all this time…

Her eyes slid shut as she thought about how she never thought it would end quite like this. She never_ had _completed her mission. She let GUN down – the president down – and now, since the pieces of the Master Emerald were still on her person as she was falling…she'd let him down as well.

But then she stopped. In midair.

The wind chill on the meteor had numbed her hands to a certain extent, but she could feel the warmth emanating from her extended hand as her eyes snapped to attention.

"…What in the world…?"

As he pulled her up to the narrow pillar once more, she was so captured by the pair of unobtainable violet jewels staring delicately at her that she didn't even realize that his hand was still fully grasping hers, although it had been more than a few minutes. His head tilted slowly, as if questioning himself, but yet his quiet purple eyes still reached deeply into hers.

It was then that she realized she would be jeopardizing everything if she continued this here and now. No matter how much she wanted to…she had to complete her mission. If the situation rose again, after this had all been solved…then perhaps…perhaps she would act differently. But for now…

She wrenched her hand away from his, making the echidna jump in surprise.

"Keep your hands to yourself! Don't touch me!"

She folded her arms over her chest, acting as if what had just ensued between them had never happened.

He looked in a state of stunned betrayal for a brief moment, and then she observed as his temper rose to the occasion as it had many times before. He leaned forward angrily, his eyes narrowing in rage.

"Is that how you say thanks to someone who just saved your life?" He growled, baring his pointed teeth. She half-scoffed, avoiding eye contact with him by staring off into the space surrounding them.

Had she not pulled this stunt, that moment might have been actually a little romantic…the stars, being alone…but this wasn't the time.

She faced him once more.

"Saving my life, don't think I owe you one!" She waggled a finger at him, smiling devilishly. "You just wanted to hold my hand, didn't you? That's why you saved me…! You're such a creep!" She saw his face contort into a half-embarrassed, half-disgusted expression, pink dusting his cheeks while a grimace occupied his face. His eyes grew wide, like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar.

It was a shame that she was blaming him for something _she_ wishedwas true.

"This isn't a joke, you know. Think what you want, bat-girl. I was saving the Master Emerald." He retorted, turning away and folding his arms.

That's what she thought was the reason. She might as well give him what he wanted, then…

She sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

"No matter what you say, it _sounds _crazy…"

With that, she pulled out the various-sized shards of the Master Emerald and threw them his way. Fortunately, she had very good aim, and they all landed at the feet of the echidna standing across from her.

Aforementioned echidna looked at her quizzically, glancing from her to the Emerald shards at an alarming rate. His expression read, _"Why are you giving these to me? After all that just happened here…!"_

"…Wha…?"

His tone showed that as well.

She tried not to smile, but she could feel the corners of her mouth twitching into a smirk. She folded her arms and scoffed, watching the shards she would never see again twinkle in the light of the stars.

"Fine, then just take them." She waved her hand his way aloofly, sticking her nose into the air while covering her eyes. Might as well get his mind back on the Emerald while she still could. "They stink, like echidnas do."

She wished she could say she really thought that about the emerald, or about him. But the most important thing right now was that she get out of here, before she did something that he might possibly and she would definitely regret.

He crouched down and started bringing the shards closer to him, shoveling them all into his arms. He glanced upward, unsure of what to say, judging by the look on his face. What ended up being said was barely audible, and too fast to even be deciphered anyway.

"If that's what you thought, you should have given me them in the first place…!" She thought she heard as he rose to a standing position once more. The echidna slowly began to piece the emerald back together, and as she stood watching, she wondered if she should simply steal it when he finished. But then she realized that would be "Indian giving", and she never was one to take back a gift.

"Finally…" He muttered, taking in the emerald in its former glory. She had just been staring at it for the past few moments, debating on her personal feat and wondering if any chance like this would ever come again. The echidna looked up, and she caught his eyes watching her intently.

Damn, that starry spot she's been adverting her eyes to since the beginning of this conversation hadn't moved, although this giant rock they were on kept moving through space.

"What…?" She asked callously, turning her cheek.

He was silent for a moment. Maybe the knucklehead was deeper than she thought. But then again, she'd learned a lot of things tonight that she hadn't known before.

"I'm sorry…if I hurt you." He mumbled into the emerald, although he knew that such a thing was meant for her. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Fortunately for her, he'd grabbed the massive gem and ran away before she had the chance to conjure anything up.

She smiled, cocking her head a bit to the side. Maybe this meeting wasn't such a bad thing. Sure, she lost the emerald she'd been looking for all this time, she'd had a fight with Knuckles, which, upon doing so, almost fell to her death, but she felt…happy. Accomplished. She had done her job…even though she hadn't. This was fraternizing with the enemy, and located anywhere but on a meteor soaring through space, she might have been a bit frightened as to the secrecy of it all.

"…We should get going…" She muttered to herself, as if still speaking to another person. After once more looking into the bubbling orange lava below her, she turned around, carefully running off of the pillar.

But not before she turned her head, her smirk growing broader as she thought of what just occurred. It was as if his presence still lingered there…

It was funny, to think that jewels might not be the most important thing to Rouge the Bat anymore…

* * *

**Nexus: So, I'll be sure to write the next chapter in a couple of days…If you haven't guessed, it'll most likely be Knuckles' take on the same scene, which is always something I've wanted to do, but haven't done with any of my fics yet. **

**SO. R&R please. :D**


	2. Faithful Guardian

**Title: Fraternizing with the Enemy**

**Author: NexustehULF0o **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ROUGE, KNUCKLES, OR ANY OF THE SONIC CHARACTERS THAT MAY BE MENTIONED IN THIS FANFIC.

* * *

**

**Nexus: Well, here I am again, a few days later, updating this fic. :D I'm still on my little Sonic Adventure 2: Battle craze, so bear with me as we continue FwtE Chapter 2…Knuckles style. XD Like last chapter please let me know if I kept Knuckles in character… Thank you!

* * *

**

He'd never been happy with anyone who tried to mess with the Master Emerald.

And now, as they both stood heaving in air on a narrow bar underneath a pit of lava while simultaneously rushing through space on a meteor, he couldn't say he hated anyone more. Out of everyone that had ever tried to keep him from fulfilling his duty, she'd been the closest to succeeding. And anyone who got in his way at all normally saw just how angry he could get.

She saw his wrath, all right, and met it head-on, charging into argument after argument with him and prolonging him from finding the shards of the Master Emerald because SHE wanted all the world's jewels to herself.

He wasn't going to have that.

"Stop foolin' around, and gimme back MY emerald!"

Although mildly put off by the fact that she'd said the exact same thing as he had, he couldn't help think that she sincerely thought it was HER emerald. After all he'd done in his life to keep it safe, she had the _nerve_ to come in and claim it as her own without any regard to his feelings.

"What are you babbling about? You call yourself a hunter, attacking a lady? Shame on you!" She batted her eyes at him, obviously trying to sway him with her feminine charm.

If he hadn't been so angry…it just might have worked.

What was he saying…no, it wouldn't have! He flared.

"What kinda 'lady' goes around stealin' gems anyway?" He asked to set her off, and he'd tried so hard not to smile as he did it. He'd folded his arms and turned up his nose, continuing to watch her steam out of the corner of his eye. She lunged forward, looking to strike him. But if she happened to get that far, he'd be ready.

…Ready to punch her, or ready to embrace her, he didn't know just yet.

"Those belong to me!" She cried out, taking her first step.

He could have seen it coming. Her foot didn't grasp the ledge quite right, and her heeled boot slipped from under her, causing her to topple off of the side.

He could hear her scream as he reacted, stepping back a pace as if to gain momentum. He darted forward, grabbing the ledge and swinging himself forward, reaching for her outstretched hand.

He shut his eyes tightly, holding his breath and hoping to the Master Emerald that he could pull through this once…

He heaved a sigh of relief when he caught the bat's hand, looking downward at her at the same time she looked up at him.

They dangled there for a few moments so that he could regain his composure before he hoisted them back onto the column.

And he stared. Stared deeply.

It wasn't like she wasn't watching him either. He was just…being too stubborn to be the first to look away. After all, let her have that one little victory and she'd be walking all over him in no time.

But there was a certain quality to her stare. Her turquoise pupils gazed delicately into his, curious, but not at all guilty. This genuine quality subtly reminded him of the Master Emerald, a prime jewel that he now remembered having started all of this…

…He duly noted thanking the Master Emerald later.

As soon as his thoughts were through, she yanked her hand from his grasp, turning and folding her arms across her chest. This sudden movement did not go unnoticed by the echidna- he nearly fell off of the beam they were standing on himself.

"Keep you hands to yourself! Don't touch me!" She turned up her nose, adverting her eyes from him. He could feel the anger burning in his throat as he gathered his thoughts together.

He momentarily guessed that what he thought and what actually WAS were two entirely different things. He liked to think that after a while, their meetings weren't just because of their duel for the Master Emerald, but apparently, that was all she thought there was.

"Is that how you say thanks to someone who just saved your life?" He spat, betrayed. He couldn't believe he'd been tricking himself this entire time…

"Saving my life, don't think I owe you one!" That smirk on her face would have made his heart melt if it hadn't already burst into flames. She waggled a finger in his face. "You just wanted to hold my hand, didn't you? That's why you saved me…! You're such a creep!"

A look of realization passed his face as he came to terms with what she said.

But he would NEVER let her know that.

He scoffed. "This isn't a joke, you know. Think what you want, bat-girl. I was saving the Master Emerald." He hid his blush-stained face by turning away and folding his arms.

Things were quiet for a moment.

His mind began to wander.

_How did this happen…?_

He heard her sigh, snapping him from his trance.

"No matter what you say, it _sounds_ crazy…" He told him, causing him to turn and look at her questioningly.

His expression worsened in confusion as she tossed the various pieces of the Master Emerald carelessly at his feet, and he glanced between the two rapidly. His jaw was slightly agape, and he didn't realize how much of an idiot he must have looked like until she started speaking again.

"Fine, then just take them. They stink, like echidnas do." He watched her wave her hand at him dismissively, as if she didn't care about the pieces any longer. He watched the pieces sparkle in the starlight, and began gathering them up in his arms.

This was the…next best thing that could have happened to him tonight.

"If that's what you thought, you should have given me them in the first place…!" He exclaimed before looking up at her for a split second, his voice rushed and barely audible. She wasn't watching, but he wanted to look up…just in case she was.

He stood, beginning to place the pieces to their original form, and when it was finished, he became a it more protective, unsure if this wasn't just another ruse to steal the Emerald from him once more.

"Finally…" He muttered, feeling the smooth surface for any cracks. He looked up, locking eyes with the bat before she broke contact again.

"What…?" She questioned apathetically, looking away. It was clear that he wasn't going to be offered any pleasantries. But he understood.

Maybe Rouge wasn't such the "bad girl" that she made herself out to be.

He'd almost enjoyed this encounter with the bat. He shouldn't be, but he was. Because you know, this was fraternizing with the enemy, and that was strictly forbidden. Fraternizing with the enemy, on anywhere but on a meteor hurdling through space, would have frightened him as to the secrecy of it all.

But he knew that such a thing wouldn't be the case.

"I'm sorry…" he muttered, looking at the lava beneath them through the green emerald. Suddenly, he was unsure of what to say. But he had to say something. He looked up again, although she still didn't have her eyes on him. "…if I hurt you."

And with that, he picked up the Emerald and ran off before he did something stupid.

…Like saving her life again.

After he'd left, she stood there for a few more moments, looking above her and smiling before parting as well.

But before heading off of the large path, the turned back, smirking ever so slightly to herself.

He watched her leap off. He knew that he wouldn't try to stop himself from smiling.

Possibly…just maybe…fulfilling Knuckles the Echidna's "duty" wouldn't be his only pursuit in life from now on….

* * *

**Nexus: Well, there you have it, ladies and gents! The other installment to my two-shot! :D I hope you liked it! And if you did, please, feel free to review! **


End file.
